CULTURE
Spotlight on One of the Gatekeepers of the Puerto Rican Bomba Tradition
Proudly connecting with our Afro-Boricua roots
Escuchar el tambor es sentir la esencia de lo que somos. Como puertorriqueñes, es parte de nuestra herencia ~ Autor
Located in the northeast region of Borikén (colonizer name: Puerto Rico), Loíza has for decades captivated visitors. Affectionately labeled La Capital de la Tradición (the Capital of Tradition), this historic coastal town is widely known for mouth-watering seafood, seemingly endless shorelines, and its spectacular annual week-long festival honoring Santiago Apóstol (St. James).
And while many tourists trek outside of Old San Juan to experience the abundantly colorful sights and sounds this pueblo offers, they’re only recently starting to see what loiceños (local residents) have understood for generations: Loíza’s undisputed role as one of the meccas of our rich bomba music genre.
It is here, at the intersection of music and history where we find one of the pueblo’s most celebrated icons: Bomba Dancer and Educator, Raquel Ayala.
A Peek at La Bomba Puertorriqueña
To understand a people and their culture, one must delve into their music. For us as Boricuas, the sounds we grew up with form an inseparable part of who we are.
Whether it’s the rooster’s crowing at the crack of dawn or the intoxicating rhythms of el tambor (the drum) or any number of the reverberations reminiscent of our archipelago (e.g., soft whispers of palm trees swaying in the Caribbean breeze, el coquí (our brown frog) singing lullabies at night, el pandero (round percussion instrument) being played at a gathering), music is what makes many of us feel alive.
With Bomba, it goes even deeper. As Educator and Flute Master, Dr. Vilmari Colón León elaborates in this NAFME article elaborates:
Bomba is an emblematic Puerto Rican musical genre that emerged 400 years ago from the colonial plantations where West African enslaved people and their descendants worked. It remains one of the most popular forms of folk music on the island and serves as significant evidence of its rich African heritage.
It is within this context that Bomba’s call-and-response plays an integral role. We understand our ancestors used Bomba as a form of much more than musical expression. They used it to convey feelings of suffering, rebellion, and pain, but also of joy, celebration, and connection.
As Dr. Colón León further notes:
Call and response is a fundamental ingredient of bomba. Musical performances typically start with a soloist called the laina, singing a phrase to which a group of singers responds. This chorus is supported by musicians that provide different rhythmic patterns with percussion instruments.
The song Tócame la Bomba (Play Me the Bomba) popularized by Félix Alduén can be used to showcase this concept and introduce the genre.
Chorus/Response
Tócame la bomba, tócamela bien (Play me the bomba, play it to me well)
Tócamela la bomba, la de Mayagüez (Play me the bomba, the one from Mayagüez)
Mayaguez is a town on the west coast of Puerto Rico. It was one of the places where bomba was born and, subsequently, is often mentioned in songs. Féliz Alduén (1926–2003) is considered one of the most important contemporary exponents of this town’s bomba.
The Matriarch Carries More Than A Family
Dance is in her DNA, it is something she admits was always her passion. As a young child, listening to Cheo Feliciano and Ismael “Maelo” Rivera, Raquel Ayala knew music to be an intrinsic part of her being. Innovating her unique style, she flowed freely to those radio tunes her parents listened to in their humble home. She admits salsa was her first love.
At the tender age of 7, she started learning to dance bomba, one of Puerto Rico’s traditional folk genres where call and response form the backdrop of an impassioned conversation between subidor (main drummer) and bailador/a (dancer). Back then, her father Don Castor Ayala began forming what would become the family’s musical legacy, El Ballet Folclórico Los Hermanos Ayala de Loíza (The Ayala Folkloric Ballet of Loíza).
Raquel fondly remembers those days:
Being the youngest at the time, the group consisted of my sister Celia, and my brothers Marcos, and Rubén. Father said I couldn’t be a part of the group until I was older. Later, when my older siblings married and after Celia had already moved to Boston, it was only me, my nephews, and nieces who remained. I was 15.
By 1959, Don Castor officially founded the dance company as a cultural non-profit organization. At this point, Raquel continued fine-tuning her craft as the group’s Principal Female Dancer. It was only natural that eventually she and her family would be offered numerous opportunities to bring bomba to other shores.
Traveling internationally to México, the Dominican Republic, Perú, and across the United States east coast, The Ayalas showcased Puerto Rico’s vibrantly rich heritage. Performing in festivals, and participating in television and travel channel documentaries allowed bomba to reach the masses.
Today, over 60 years later, Loíza’s bomba tradition continues. And while Raquel Ayala’s legacy as matriarch remains unquestioned, it goes beyond that of her bloodline. Though she is retired from traveling with the dance troupe her father created, she remains active in their rehearsals — as an observer and educator.
Reflecting on what she sees in children learning to dance, she offers “The children who come here are very excited to learn the music and the dance. I remind them that each of us has our own style and unique flavor. The point is not to dance like me.”
Turning serious for a moment, she continues
Bomba is about hand movements, arm gestures, and footwork. When they start doing ‘shake-y shake-y’ with their shoulders, that’s where I draw the line. Because that’s Rumba, not Bomba.
When not overseeing one of the group’s practice sessions, she can be found on her porch playing dominoes with her younger sister, Adelina (Linda). Otherwise, she’s sometimes seen entertaining tourists with her magnetic personality and infectious laughter. True to her calling, Raquel is quick to offer a tip to anyone eager to learn a few bomba moves — just watch that upper body movement!
Side note: in addition to her role as the La Matriarca de la Bomba Puertorriqueña, Ms. Ayala dedicated 30 years of civil service, working as an invaluable member of San Juan’s Department of Treasury.
This piece is dedicated to all the women of Borikén, guerreras past, present, and future — that we continue to honor their legacies. May we never forget our responsibility to our hermosa matria. ❤️🇵🇷💪🏽
Original article first published on Latino Rebels, September 12, 2021.
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